life as a mom of three and church planter's wife

Wii Tennis

The other night, my Mii and I decided we would play tennis. The kids were at basketball practice, the supper dishes were cleaned up, and I needed to get my Serena Williams on. So as I fired up the TV, my husband passed through the living room and asked, “What are you playing?” “Tennis,” I said. “Oh, can I play too?” he asked.

Now this all sounds charming, doesn’t it? Cute little couple, playing video games when their kids are away…how precious! Except, it’s not. Because Justin’s little Mii (Daddio is his name) is a professional at tennis. Every time you win at Wii Tennis, your Mii gets a higher ranking. And his was quite high by now. My Mii…not so much. I play Wii Tennis like I play real tennis, and it’s embarrassing to say that this works to my disadvantage. For one thing, I nearly took a lamp out early on in my Wii Tennis career, and for another, I swing so hard that my shoulder aches for days afterward. Embarrassing, like I said, but true. Justin just flicks his wrist, hardly moving his Wii remote, and his balls go exactly where he wants them to at a very high velocity.

Back to his request to play: I knew, if he played, that I would just be a little grease spot on the court after he was finished, but it seemed rude to exclude him, so I said he could. The match begins (best of five games) and it’s over in about two minutes. So sad to watch my little Mii, cheerful and happy to be let out of her room and into the playing arena, just crumple and hang her head. She didn’t understand why the balls kept whizzing by her and her partner (also me). But I did. “That was not alot of fun,” I said. He looked chagrined and yet curiously upbeat about pulverizing his wife in a virtual game of tennis. I said, “Maybe you should go back to whatever you were doing before.” He left, trying to hide his smile.

And the moral of this story is…just say no! to husbands or friends with higher Wii sports skill levels when they try to barge in on your “me time” (or Mii time, as the case may be – I’m so funny!). Just keep playing Julio or Kasper or whomever the system dishes up for you, because kids, winning by yourself is more fun than losing to a real person. Life lesson, free of charge.